With a carefully orchestrated hate campaign through the tabloid press, this government have worked hard to convince people that we are work-shy scroungers, with most of us only pretending to be disabled. And described by their role models in former Nazi Germany as ‘useless eaters’, we are therefore the cause of the economic crisis that this country finds itself in.

Along with this trend can we expect to be issued once again with licences to beg and a place found for us in the Workhouse?

And what about his cronies. It wasn’t so long ago that they were all attacking Labour for holding an attitude towards disabled people as being ‘scroungers’.

Quentin Davis, Conservative MP and spokesman for social security – and under the guidance of William Hague – told us that “those who are disabled should get the support they need to lead a fulfilling life with dignity. I am proud that we in the Conservative party never thought of taking such measures when we were in power.”

No I’m not making this up. It’s all recorded in Hansard if you care to look.

So what the hell is driving Cameron in this apparent complete turn around in Tory policy. And why are the rest of the government supporting him?!

And by the way, I make no apology for the cartoon that accompanies this blog. Some of you may consider it in the worst possible taste and feel that I’ve over stepped the mark here. But as far as I’m concerned Cameron has crossed a line with regard to his total disregard of disabled people, their families and friends and deserves everything he gets!

During the early months of their establishment the Coalition government said they would always support those people within our society with the greatest need. This would include those disabled people who chose to live in society rather than in a residential care home or similiar institution. As we now know, they lied.

As well as implimenting the harshest cuts to services that this country has ever seen, branding disabled people as benefit scroungers and a drain upon society and cutting their benefits, in 2010 this same government closed all new applications to the Independent Living Fund (ILF).

The ILF was specifically set up in 1988 to provide funds for disabled people to manage their own care and support. These funds came from a central government pot to aid those with the highest support needs to remain independent. This also resulted in many more disabled people being able to make the choice between living independently in the community or being incarcerated in a residential home.

The recent change not only prevented newly disabled people from accessing this support and choosing to become independent, but it also sent a direct message to those disabled people who were currently benefitting from the fund, that time was running out for them. Without this fund, many disabled people would be unable to continue living independently and would have no choice but to move (or go back) into residential care.

We then learned that the ILF will be discontinued at the end of 2014. This means that most of the 25,000 users of the fund will have to rely on local authorities to make up the money that they need to remain out of institutional care.

Local Authorities, however, already face severe financial cuts and many disabled people have been fighting to ensure their Local Authority maintains their existing support packages. We all know that the chances of cash strapped Councils making up the ILF shortfall are minimal or non-existent.

By the government placing the onus on Local Authorities, many are saying that they will have no choice but to place those who are currently recieving ILF into residential care homes.

Apart from the obvious loss of independence, many disabled people going into institutions run the risk of experiencing physical, mental and sexual abuse – something that has been well documented in recent years.

Another problem is that Local Authorities may only have space within inappropriate care homes, such as those that cater for older people. Again, there is documented evidence of young disabled people having spent their days in such places, separated from their peers and lacking any form of social interaction with other young people.

Currently the main focus of protest at these changes is through the organisation Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC). You can obtain more information and details of how to protest about these proposed changes by clicking here.

Please support other disabled people in making a stand against this latest threat to our rights to have an equal place within society

Last Thursday in the United States, Virginia Republican State Delegate Bob Marshall spoke at a press conference against state funding for Planned Parenthood. He blasted the organization for supporting a women’s right to choose, saying that God punishes women who have had abortions by giving them disabled children.

This is the sort of thinking that was prevelent in the medieval ages when people believed that having a disabled child was a punishment for, amongst other things, being in league with the devil. And it’s taken a long time, especially in some parts of the world, for these beliefs to change.

Naturally disabled people in the US are up in arms about these latest comments, even those who are against abortion, and are demanding that he stand down.

What’s really frightening though is not only that people in a position of authority can believe this sort of superstitious nonsense, but that they are allowed a platform on which to air it.

It’s not a far step from what our own government are doing to the disabled people of this country – demonising us by persuading people that we Crips are all benefits scroungers, and soley responsible for the current financial crisis!

We need to challenge this sort of thinking wherever we encounter it and not rest until disabled people are no longer scapegoated for society’s ills.

Read more about the fascist thoughts of this US Republican by clicking here.

Is it just me or is there a blatant contradiction between what this government are actually doing and what they’re saying?!

Having cut just about everything that they could get their hands on, services, funding, etc., they then spend billions putting on this massive feel-good festival called the 2012 London Olympics.

You’ll remember that there’s been a lot of talk about the legacy of the games, hense the strapline – ‘Inspiring a Generation’. All very laudable but …

What about the local infra structure for these ‘inspired’ young wannabe olympic athletes? The truth is that there’s a funding crisis for local sports across the nation. There’s been a mass sell off municipal and school sports facilities, and sport has been chopped from the school curriculum left right and centre.

Last night both CH4’s Dispatches and the BBC Panorama programme took Minister Chris Grayling to task for still insisting that the assessment company ATOS had not been set targets regarding the number of people that they should reject for benefits and deem fit for work.

This was something that had been claimed by trainers and doctors working for ATOS and also by disabled people who had been through the assessment process.

Part of the BBC Panorama programme included film of ATOS doctors verifying thast they had been given government targets to meet.

If ever more evidence was needed just how much the big corporation have taken of the Olympic Games just look at the amount of empty seating around the different events.

Thousands of these empty seats have been provided to the various corporations that have ‘sponsored’ this years extravaganza, along with additional free seating for olympic officials.

However a last minute attempt to cover up the fact that most of these VIP seats were remaining empty has resulted in another débâcle. Thousands of seats have now been released by the organisers. The plan being that these seats can be purchased on the internet by ‘ordinary’ punters.

Hang on though. Because you’d have to physically claim your tickets on the same day that you register for them, this means that only people living in or around London need bother (as only they could make this same day deadline!).

And oops! As most of these new seats are in the ‘secure’ areas, there’s no time to impliment background checks on the ordinary people applying!

But who ever suggested that this event was anything other than another corrupt Corporate/Government collaboration?